“I love my kids. My mom was unstable, and my dad was in and out of jail. My relationships haven’t been that good. But my kids… They’re always there, and I love them so much.”
K is intelligent, passionate, and caring. Every time we talk, she immediately begins asking me how my week was, how work has been, etc. Her friends constantly come to her for help. Her face lights up any time she talks about her children.
But K’s life is really hard. Abuse and exploitation are a part of her story, both in her past and her present. Her bruised and battered body confirms that even if she never complains or says anything about it.
As K and I became friends, she shared more of her story with me. Even though she puts on a happy face, the reality is that she feels like life is spiraling. When I asked her what motivated her, she quickly said, “My kids!” As we talked, she shared how much she loves them and how much they love her. She proudly shared about how they were growing and what they were learning. Simply put: her hope is in her children.
This story isn’t unique to K. Scarlet Hope engages hundreds of women that repeat the theme, “Life is hard, so I hold on to ______.”
My significant other.
My wealth.
My lifestyle.
My dreams/aspirations.
Understandably, K puts all of her hope in her children; they are the only thing that ever brings her any happiness in her very difficult life. But I know this hope is misplaced. She is finding her hope in something that will not ultimately bring her satisfaction and true happiness. K’s kids will eventually fail her; they can’t satisfy her deepest need. But by the grace of God, at Scarlet Hope, we get to offer women like K an even better hope. A hope of someone who loves them immensely and unconditionally. Someone who suffered for them rather than caused them to suffer. This hope is everlasting!
Each week, Scarlet Hope gets the opportunity to tell women the hope that Jesus has to offer. And we get to see this hope transform lives. One woman told me, “I tried to find my hope in the lost world. After years of seeking and being let down, I finally surrendered to God. Now I find hope in being a new person in Jesus.”
